11 November 2018 Print Companies

Geerings completes withdrawal from print

The century old Ashford group has sold its last print industry interests, moving Geerings Digital to expansion minded ASL in Cambridge.

The Geering group has sold Geerings Digital, its managed print and copier supply business. The deal follows five years on from the sale of Geerings Print to a management team.

The deal is the second this year for Cambridge office supply business ASL. In February it had purchased ICA. It has made ten acquisitions in nine years and now has 14,000 office printers and MFPs under contract. It also gains expertise in managed office solutions including telephony and communications solutions, production print, IT software and supplies.

Mark Garius, ASL managing director, says the deal “adds strength and depth to our coverage in the south of England” adding: “We chose Geerings Digital carefully because of their fit with ASL – particularly their high standards and commitment to customer service. We are retaining a base in Ashford as we recognise that their strong presence in the area needs to be maintained and grown.”

Geerings has been located in Ashford, Kent, since 1903, though not always in the current building. The Geering group leases part of the building to Geerings Print with a number of other companies also operating on the site. The print business, which specialises in events catalogues, has a five-year lease on its premises and has been in touch with landlords to seek reassurance.

The Geerings family also owns a hospitality goods business as well as property in the area. Chairman William Geering says: “Geerings made the decision to focus their efforts on our other business areas and after entering a process, we chose ASL as we felt that the company cultures were aligned. The management of Geerings were very keen to ensure that Geerings Digital continued to prosper under the new management while still maintaining the excellent customer service that they have become renowned for across all their businesses.”

The deal takes ASL’s turnover to £27 million with more than 140 staff.

ASL continues its expansion in the office print space with the acquisition of Geerings Digital. This increases penetration in the south east and takes ASL into managed print services. The deal does not affect Geerings Print, the first to invest in an SRA1 Ryobi.